By Farah G. Decano

           

FOR someone who puts much value to ties of friendship or alliance, Vice President Sara Duterte probably felt the diminishing support of her allies as soon as somebody else became more powerful than her family.  This was likely her inspiration behind her much-criticized children’s book, “Isang Kaibigan,” which was released in 2023.  The plot was about one friend who did not abandon another in the time of need.

When her father was president, VP Sara enjoyed so much power even if she was then only a mayor of a locality in Mindanao. She was able to overthrow the leadership in the House of Representatives and install her friend, Representative Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (GMA), as speaker.  The recent hearing on the 2025 budget of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) magnified the bitter reality that VP Sara’s control in the Lower House is crumbling.  Not even the ally she catapulted once to power – Representative GMA – was able to do much to protect her.

If the video clips shown on television were accurate, Representative GMA made only a singular manifestation – that the OVP budget hearing should be limited only to the proposed budget for 2025 without digging up fund allocations in the previous years for these have already been exhaustively discussed.

During the budget inquiry, VP Sara calmly addressed the presiding chair, Representative Stella Quimbo, and requested that the minutes be read back when the latter could not recall any snide remark uttered by Rep. France Castro against her.  VP Sara also made the same request when Chair Quimbo again could not again remember saying the words, “stick to the plan.”   The latter, however, denied both requests.

Sensing the consistent unfair rulings of the chair, VP Sara asked for the replacement of the presiding officer which the latter turned down for the reason that the VP, as a resource speaker, does not have any power to control the proceedings.  The Chair’s response should have been a giveaway to any courageous ally of the Vice President to come to her rescue.  However, no one took the cudgels to make the move for the Vice President.  No one was fierce enough to risk his or her neck in an environment hostile to the second highest official.

If I were a committee member and VP Sara’s ally, I would have taken her several bids as signals for me to make the necessary motions on her behalf so that she would not feel bullied into silence.  I remember doing that for Mayor Belen T. Fernandez when she was Vice Mayor and the Presiding Officer of the Sangguniang Panlungsod.  Per our internal rules, the latter could not participate in the debate and could only vote when there was a tie.  Because of the limitations of her role, I, as her majority floor leader had to be sensitive to her requests and made the necessary motions.

Does her disappointment and frustration over her “friends” and “allies” justify her almost contemptible behavior during the hearing?

VP Sara admitted that she had been informed earlier that Chair Quimbo and her ilk had a plan to beat her up regarding the P125 million confidential funds she spent in 2022.  Since she could no longer rely on her usual buddies in Congress to afford her the usual parliamentary courtesy, the VP had to devise her own script to follow.  Her strategy was to make use of the “congressional attacks or nonchalance” as her justification for her avoidance of the issue.  The way she was seated alone fronting the congressmen was an indication of her own scheme for optic purposes. Later, her keyboard warriors represented her as the valiant fighter against a flock of crocodiles.

Frankly, the VP did not have to devise any escape route to counter Chair Quimbo’s plan to pound her regarding the confidential funds issue.  Simple. If she spent the money properly, she could have easily shamed her enemies with the truth.

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments